Hari Kirtana: The Yoga for the Modern Age

What is the ultimate goal of the yoga process or meditation? Contact with the Supreme, the Supersoul, the Supreme Lord, is the aim and object of all yoga processes. Similarly, philosophical research, the jnana process, also aims at understanding the Supreme Brahman. These are recognized processes, undoubtedly, but according to authoritative description, they are not practical in this Iron Age of Kali. Therefore one has to take to this process of Hari-kirtana Anyone can practice without pre-qualification. One doesn’t have to study philosophy or Vedanta.

One needs sufficient education, and one must attain a certain status before he can understand Vedanta. In each and every word there are volumes of meanings, and there are many commentaries by Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya, huge volumes in Sanskrit. But how can we understand Vedanta? It is not possible. It may be possible for one person or two persons to understand, but for the mass of people it is not possible. Nor is it possible to practice yoga.

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Therefore, if one takes to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s method, chanting Hare Krishna, the first installment of gain will be ceto-darpana-marjanam: all the dirty things will be cleansed from the heart simply by chanting Chant. There is no expenditure, and there is no loss. If one simply chants for one week, he’ll see how much he will progress in spiritual knowledge.

This is practical and authorized, and one can also test himself to see how he is advancing simply by chanting. This Krishna consciousness movement is not something new, something that we have introduced or manufactured. It is authorized on the Vedic principles, authorized by acharyas like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and others. And the method is very simple; there is no loss. We are not charging anything, we are not asking for fees and giving the people some secret mantra and promising them that within six months they will become God. No. This is open for everyone—children, women, girls, boys, old people—everyone can chant and see the results!

Ref: Krishna Consciousness— The Yoga for the Modern Age authored by Srila Prabhupada (Founder - Acharya, ISKCON)